Perfect Slide
charliej2356
Posts: 316 ✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
When I played baseball, I loved to slide -- and I never got injured doing it. Nowadays, it often seems like a lost art. Keep your hands up (don't touch the ground), land on the meaty part of your leg/butt, and you won't get hurt. Here's a picture of the proper way to begin your slide.
https://www.facebook.com/607345726134075/photos/a.607350146133633/1767674676767835/
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I dont watch enough games to concur it's a lost art, but I believe you. Great slides made for exciting tv, and really close calls on base or at the plate. Spikes up was a big thing, but that's gone. And taking out the thrower on base as you slide was a huge thing. Of course dangerous too. This is an epic somewhat recent event involving a slide.
https://youtu.be/mwsQB1w2nxw
Edit to add: I just remembered your fondness for the term donnybrook @perkdog while watching this, and I know I mentioned it before to you that the announcer uses it.
Sorry for taking this thread off course. Here's a compilation video of slides. Some on the base baths. Some by fielders. At the 2 minute 47 second mark, there is an example of a fielder using a slide to beat the runner to first base in order to get the out. I don't think this is a super common use of the slide, but it's a great example.
Edited to add video.
https://youtu.be/eeRC_1jITCc
Here's an interesting link discussing head vs feet first slides.
http://baseballnews.com/old/features/stories/2012/special_report_is_head_first_sliding_more_dangerous.htm
I seem to see most guys sliding head first now. Am I wrong? As I said, I don't watch a ton of baseball.
I played ball for many years. Sometime in the season I’d slide wrong and tear up the back of my leg. Wake up with the sheets stuck to my leg. Final get it to scab over and start to heal just to do it again and break it open. Wearing jeans was painful. Ahh the glory of youth.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
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Hal McRae's sliding style was the best. See a Yankee and take him out.
Willie Stargell was pretty good. Slide into second and come up a bit short
and pop up and try to call time out before you're tagged out.